The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-31
GOOD RESOLUTIONS FOR 1888.
The Editor of Harper Grows Mildly Sarcastic
Over a Literary Fad.


Over a Literary Fad.
Charles Dudley Warner, in January Harper.
1t is just as we'll to begin the year 1888 with
good resolution as with q poor one. and there
Drawer, some things left undone in 1887 that
they resolve TO do in 1888. There may
be some people who have not made out q list OF
the one hundred best books for other people to
rsad-an amusement as harmless as it is attract
i've, because one seems to have performed sort
of duty to the world, and is not at all committed
to read the standard list himself. There may be
those also who have not confessed In print what
is their favorite poem, may not have contlded to
the world what is the best poem in the English
language, and have not told what is the SUPER
language, and what contemporary piece OF writ
ing is most likely to endure. These serious
omissions Of duty to the reading pubic, and TO
those who select what the public shall read can
be rem edied in 1885, and the Drawer need only
suggest them to conscientious minds burdened
with the Improvement of other minds. 1t IS es-
pecially necessary that the one-nundred best
book list should be authoritatively settled. so
that We may throw away the other books, and
have a clean deck for the twentieth century,
which the Drawer must again remind It's read
efs lsswlftly approaching.
But none OF these things important as
the great modern movement OF education called
What Books Have Influenced Me-" The push
ing of this inquiry has not Yet gone so Tar as
the investigation into the sort of diet that Is
best for every body. based upon the experience
of conscientious individuals who tell the world
for our living. and we have even made progress
in the direction of knowing what sort OF food is
most likely to produce not only conscience de-
void of offense but brilliant intellectual effort
We never can estimate, for instance, the service
to the world of those who have taught rs to eat
oatmeal with cream), or to consume flsh as
brain food, or to resort to milk. to drink hot
water three times a day. And yet we have still a
good deal to learn to 1'What Diet Has In
fuenced Me-" If we could all eat the same things
at the same time, should not destroy tho
present inequality of brains, but should cul-
tIvate sympathy with fellows, and do
something toward that desirable uniformity
which seems to be the object of good deal or
modern education. We desire not to be misun-
derstood. There some who regard this
''What Books Have Influenced Me" as simply a
temporary literary 'fad," or an advertisement
and they object that we get a good deal of in
formation of this sort about people of whom we
never have heard before, and ABOUT the intellect
ual processes of minds that never interested
in the slightest deceee. This is narrow view
of the ubiect. WheE curious to know
what the great Boston bruiser eats, it is not
with the expectation that if eat the
things shall be able TO knock out of time all
the other bruisers not born In Boston and we
do not expect to write another I'm Memoriam"
when we have found out what I'ennyson read
when boy. But to these other people of
whom never heard. who are just like US in
all proba biity, it is important to know that any
books influenced their growing minds. for we
may hope that the same diet will give right
to the same pleasant publicity. The causes of our
non success in life will be apparent to US. 1t is
because we have never read ''hoOiESon Crus0e,
or "Puss in Boots" or .Pilcrim's Progress"
''Marmion," or Walt Whitman, or Cooks Voy
ages" or 'The Arabian Nights" or Sanford
and Merton" and To know that other
minds have fed on these things. and then have
had their predictions accepted in the maya
zines, is stimulus and hope; to know that light
dawned another mind after perusal of
Macaulays Lays" or of Bakers Call" is to
show the way to inspiration. We are search
ing for the materials that make genius and sue
Our means of determining what is neces-
sary TO the mind and to literary growth are still
inadequate. and hence the value of this testi-
mony. When we have enough of this testimony
for comparison. can determine universally
exactly what to read in youth in order to be-
come what these persons whose minds have
been influenced. We do not exaggerate the i'm
portance of this con tri button to human culture.
The notion bias got about that these Influenced
Mes are in the nature of certificates to the eff
cacy of certain medicines the taker, and that
they skillfully drawn out by persons who
want to them to make money We
could prove this to be absurd II
had time enough. Equally untenable
is the conjecture that they are the prod
uct of vanity. They the product of philan-
pulse on the part OF the makers of the ..Iaflu.>
enced Mes" to impart to others the means OF
their extraordinary development in order to do
good, and person must be both at leisure and
unselish who can recall and expose the early in
teliectual processes of his growth, recognizing
the Importance of them to the world at large.